Connacht play it safe as Mack Hansen return is delayed until later this month

Connacht’s Mack Hansen.

MACK HANSEN’S RETURN to action has been slightly delayed and it’s now hoped he will be back for Connacht’s final home match of the season against the Stormers on 18 May.

Head coach Pete Wilkins had hoped the Irish winger would be back for this Saturday’s trip to Thomond Park to take on Munster but he doesn’t want to take any risks with the player.

Hansen has been out of action since the home clash against Munster on New Year’s Day when Connacht won 22-9.

“We’re not going to take any risks for his sake, but also for Ireland’s as well. It’s a shame he’s not there for this week but I hope we’ll see him at some point,” said Wilkins.

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“There’s not been a major setback, it’s really just him ticking those final boxes in terms of returning to contact. I would have loved him to be available this week, as he would have as well ut it’s a bit of a week-to-week at the moment.”

The Connacht coach is coming to terms with being without out-half JJ Hanrahan until the start of 2025 at least after the 31-year old suffered an ACL injury in the win over the Dragons the weekend before last.

“First and foremost we have to look after him,” added Wilkins. “If there’s a positive within it, it’s that a good chunk of the weeks he’ll miss will be off-season and pre-season and the injury as well is relatively clean. There isn’t any further damage or complications with the knee.

” JJ’s been terrific for us, and we’ll certainly miss him in the time he’s not with us.”

Hanrahan, who joined last summer on a two-year deal, has played 19 games and scored 137 points, including three tries, will undergo surgery later this month.

Another ACL victim, Argentine international Santiago Cordero, who suffered the injury at training in his first week after arriving in Galway last summer, could finally make his bow against the Stormers on Saturday week.

“He’s progressing really nicely. He trained fully with us last week and he’s training fully with us this week,” added Wilkins. “And, for as much as you can judge a man by training form he was outstanding in terms of his movements and lovely touches on the ball. He’s very close. We targeted the Stormers as the best-case scenario and that may still eventuate but I want to get him through to Friday afternoon and I’ll have a chat with him then.”

Connacht are boosted by the timely return of out-half and skipper Jack Carty for the trip to Thomond Park but experienced loosehead Denis Buckley (knee) and the versatile back rower Cian Prendergast (thumb) are out for a number of weeks.